Previews

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory

Once we'd finished our look at the single-player, we had a chance to take the new multiplayer maps for a spin. As mentioned earlier, some of Enemy Territory's multiplayer maps are linked together, allowing players to progress through a campaign as a team against another team of human players. As one map finishes, it moves on to the next level in the campaign, with players carrying over weapons and skills acquired in combat. A few of the campaigns span three levels, which should be as large as they get.

As sort of an experience bonus, each player now has three skills that they can build up in the heat of battle. For instance, as you build up your "battle sense," you may acquire binoculars, a faster stamina recharge rate, or even the ability to sniff out enemy landmines. Gaining proficiency with light weapons will improve your accuracy and allow you to carry more ammo. It's possible for "rookies" to join a campaign midway at the entry skill level, but it looks like the skills will be balanced enough so that anyone can be competitive, even midway through a match.

Most of the maps we played had an interactive component to them; there always seemed to be more going on than running from point A to point B. One level features one team trying to maneuver a tank through tight village streets, while another has multiple paths than can be accessed by opening or sealing drainage pipes. We did get lost a few times while playing (after all, it was our first time seeing the maps), but a number of nifty auto-map features helps you keep track of your team and everything else going on. Most of the maps are based in some way off those from the single-player campaign -- at least ten will make it into the final product, and there's always the possibility of more. (You know there's always going to be one level designer creating some crazy map and releasing it on the Internet when no one's looking.)

Taking out the big guns.

Even though Activision has a number of different teams working on the game across the globe -- Mad Doc, Splash Damage, Gray Matter, and even input from id Software -- Enemy Territory seems to be progressing nicely. (It seems they've got this teamwork thing nailed pretty well.) And for Wolfenstein fans worried that all these squad and skill elements might detract from what they really want to do -- shoot Nazis -- you need not worry. "This is still a first-person Wolfenstein game, with hardcore squad elements thrown in," states Moses. "All the things we've done are to enhance the first-person shooter action feel." Enemy Territory should be rolling onto store shelves sometime later this spring.